Page 92 of Marigold Run

“How have you been?” An unfamiliar voice says in a booming voice. I assume it’s this Stanley guy. “Hutch!” An alpha stepsinto the doorway, smiling widely at my mate. He’s tall and broad with dark eyes. His brown hair is slicked back and his expression is hard. Almost like he just finished a fight. “How the fuck are you?” He shakes Hutch’s hand. “Dassy.” He nods to Dassy as he sits next to me.

“Where’s your mate?” Everly asks.

Stanley squints at her, almost as if offended she’d ask that, but then he turns back to the doorway. “Bear!” He pops his head back into the hallway. “Omega! Hurry your ass up!” He looks back at Everly. “He loves chatting up the hostess.”

“Sorry, alpha!” An omega's soft voice hits the air and my ears prickle. It’s familiar. Or maybe I just want it to be.

Desperate to hear it again, I turn my whole body in my chair, staring intently at the door, as the omega steps into the room. My eyes focus on his clothes first—fitted green slacks and a pale pink button-up shirt. And then I see his familiar face, and shock slams into me.

“It’s about time!” Stanley greets his omega, kissing his cheek. “Stefan. This is Izan’s mate, Mari.”

Stefan smiles brightly at his alpha, then his bright green eyes drift to me, but the second they land on me, he freezes. His smile falls and all the color drains from his face. He looks like he’s seeing a ghost.I know the feeling.

But this can’t be him.

I’m hallucinating.

Or I’ve died, and this is heaven.

This omega looks a lot like my Stefan but so different at the same time. He has the same curly blond hair and green eyes. But this omega has no dark circles under his eyes or gaunt features. His face is soft and round, and he has color in his cheeks. He looks healthy. Glowing.He looks happy.

“Is it really you?” I slowly stand, terrified my legs will give out. Dassy holds out his hands, hovering them near my hips as I move away from the table.

“What’s happening?” Stanley asks, and I hear Izan answer him, but all my focus is on my brother. My sweet, beautifullivingbrother.

“Marigold?” Stefan takes a single step toward me. “I watched you die.” He looks me up and down. “And you’re in adress.” His mouth falls open, and a laugh bursts from my chest.

I run, flinging myself into his arms. Stefan instantly catches me, and we both fall to the floor, laughing and crying and hugging and snuggling one another. I’m so confused and overwhelmed, but still so happy too. It takes a few minutes to calm us down, but once they do, we start talking.

“You look amazing.” I run my fingers over his shoulders, feeling his firm chest. “I can’t believe you’re alive.”

“Me too” Stefan nuzzles my cheek, filling my lungs with that familiar jasmine and primrose scent.

“What the fuck is happening?” Stanley demands of Izan. I bristle at his tone, not caring for the way he’s speaking to my pack alpha.

“I’m just as lost as you are,” Izan says, matching Stanley’s harsh tone.

“Alpha,” Stefan says, his voice the perfect blend of submissive and sweet. “This is my sister.” He threads our fingers together. “This is my Marigold.”

Stanley’s brows pull together as he examines my face. “Your sister thatdied?” Stefan nods fiercely and Stanley lets out a barking laugh, making me flinch. “Well, shit!” The alpha falls into a nearby chair. “Bear! Where the fuck did he go?” Stefan continues to smile sweetly at me, making it clear that he’s used to all the yelling.

“I’m here, alpha.” A mountain-of-a-man steps into the room. He’s easily as tall as the twins but he’s twice as broad with dark, shaggy hair and a matching beard. His fitted polo stretches across his barrel chest, and the sleeves dig into his bulging biceps. The word “bear” definitely fits.

“Mari.” Stefan tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear. “Tell me everything. Where have you been? What happened after you fell?”

I look around the room, seeing my adoring pack sitting at the table. The twins are sitting next to Everly and Izan. While Stanley sits next to Bear. I’m sure there will be formal introductions soon, but for now, I just want to talk to my brother. So that’s what we do.

We talk for what feels like hours.

I talk about Havenfield and the Silvas. He talks about what happened after that horrible day, and meeting his pack. We gloss over the hard parts, but spend hours talking about the things that make us happy.

We talk for so long the alphas finish eating and eventually look bored. Dassy even falls asleep at the table, his arms crossed and his chin resting on his broad chest.

But then Stanley checks his watch, then speaks up. “Time to go home, omega.”

Stefan’s hold on my arm instantly lessens and panic grips me.He can’t leave me! I won’t let him!

“Wait!” I grab my brother’s forearm “You can’t go.”

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